


Headcanons & Drabbles

by LostinFic



Category: Broadchurch, Secret Diary of a Call Girl (TV)
Genre: Character Study, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff, Headcanon, Missing Scene, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Teninch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2020-07-10 10:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 13,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19904254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LostinFic/pseuds/LostinFic
Summary: Headcanons about Hardy and Hannah as a couple or about each character separately. As well as (mostly) domestic fluff drabbles.Organized by themes, see chapter titles.(Just in case my Tumblr blog ever gets deleted, I wanted to archive these posts I wrote over the years)





	1. One headcanon to rule them all

**Author's Note:**

> Most of these were questions or meme prompts I received on Tumblr. I absolutely love talking about my headcanons, I hope these will be interesting to you. Feel free to let me know what you think and share your own headcanons in the comments, I would love to read them. And/or you can ask for more of mine on different aspects of their relationship. Enjoy!

I have a vague yet consistent headcanon of the progression of their relationship that I use when I write oneshots. To me it happens in 3 stages and I assume that the events of each season happened in the year it aired.  
1\. pre-Broadchurch/during sdoacg (2007-2011): they’re good friends and secretly pine for each other although they won’t admit it (even to themselves)  
2\. during Broadchurch/after sdoacg (2013-2017): they’re free to be together, but they’re both a mess so they fuck things up on a regular basis  
3\. post-Broadchurch (2017- ∞) when everything is settled and they’ve worked through most of the obstacles to their relationship

* * *

I want to write an epic novel-length fic in which Alec and Hannah meet way before Broadchurch, before she even becomes an escort actually. Around the same time he meets Tess, he’s still just a constable and she’s on the verge of quitting school. It’s at a time when the age difference matters. He’s thinking about marriage and babies and she’s thinking about her next flatmate. And yet they stick together, undeniably attracted, physically and emotionally, by the other. 

But Tess is the right choice. The reasonable choice.

When Hannah becomes an escort, it confirms his choice. They fight terribly, call each other names and fall out. “That’s it,” they think, the end of their friendship.

He’s the first one to give in. Months later he calls, he’s drunk and it’s his bachelor party, and “I miss you, Han.” “But I’m still an escort.”

When he walks down the aisle, when he and Tess welcome Daisy to the world, there’s a pang of jealousy in Hannah’s heart, but mostly she’s happy. Happy that her best mate gets what he wants and what he deserves. In the end, she’s getting what she wants too, doing a job she loves.

They keep in touch despite the distance and their hectic lives. Because what separates them is also what brings them together. They’re different and therefore challenge each other. They’re also a haven for each other, someone removed from their daily lives, from criminals and clients.

When the baby— and later, criminals— keep him awake at night, he knows she’ll be awake too. And he’s the first person she wants to call when she gets a good news or when she’s feeling blue.

He’s the person she calls, sitting on a bench by the Thames in a bejeweled yellow dress with mascara running down her cheeks. “I’m here,” he says just a few hours later. He holds her. And when she kisses him, she thinks she’s done it again, she’s fucked up a friendship. But he’s different.

When she writes about him in her book, journalists ask her about “the one that got away”.

She witnesses his transformation from a caring and warm person into a hardened and cold detective. She doesn’t recognize him and it hurts. When he discovers Tess’ betrayal, he’s free, they’re more mature, maybe the timing is finally right. But he doesn’t let Hannah comfort him. He shouts at her. He sleeps on the couch.

There’s a divorce and a relocation, and a heart that beats erratically. When she sees him on the news, she decides to help him. Whether he likes it or not. She’s at the Trader’s and at the hospital. She calls him stupid, reckless, he calls her selfish and opportunistic. And he kisses her with salty lips and hands carding through windswept hair.

Then there’s a tiny blue house, and lazy mornings, and she’s still there. And when he thinks he’s about to fall back into old patterns, in the madness of an unsolved case that haunts him, she keeps him afloat. She’s still there.

* * *

> fadewithfury replied to your post “And she writes about him in her next book.” What does she write about? :D :D

_When I released my first book, journalists were eager to know how my profession had affected my personal life, specifically my relationships. I had a go-to story about my best friend, Jeremy, who learned the truth and still supported me through my ups and downs. I never told them the story of A.H._

_The one that got away._

_A.H. would describe himself as skinny, Scottish and grumpy. But to me he was kind, dependable… and grumpy. My opposite and therefore my other half. I don’t believe in regrets, and yet sometimes I wonder how different my life would be had I made a different choice in 2006._

Alec put down Hannah’s book on his desk. He’d read that chapter three times now. Ironically, it’s his wife that had showed it to him, joking it might be about him because of the initials. Little did she know she was right.

He had a great life with Tess and Daisy, but it was easy to get lost in what-ifs and could’ve-beens when things got rough. Grass greener and all that. Somewhere at the back of his head, where dreams are made, there lived a parallel version of himself. One who knew better in 2006. One who wasn’t so uptight. One who realized who she was mattered more than what she did for a living.

Now he knew she felt the same.

He hoped she was happy.


	2. Making it official and Tess' reaction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who says I love you first? And how do other people react to their relationship? Includes two drabbles.

**Who says I love you first?**

I feel like, from what we’ve seen on sdoacg, Hannah might just blurt it out at some point, when Hardy does something sweet or just after she kisses him goodbye in the morning.

My strongest headcanon is that Hardy figures out he’s in love with Hannah and that she’s in love with him, before she does, but he doesn’t say so until he thinks she’s ready to hear it.

It just really sums up the way I see their relationship: his patience and how well he knows her, but also the strength of his feelings (I can’t find the right word, but how he trusts and is confident about his love for her?) Whereas Hannah is (understandably) a little more insecure in her relationships, and has a hard time believing someone can love her for who she is and won’t try to use her and her feelings.

And you know how, when you love someone, those words are always on the tip of your tongue, so imagine Hardy, Hardy who cares so much, his heart swelling with love for her in his chest, but he thinks: not yet, not today, she won’t believe it. Just being so respectful of the space and the time she needs. And he’d just give her a big hug instead, hold her tight, kiss her. And she would feel so loved, and that alone would overwhelm her. 

But he’s there, day after day, always there for her, with so much tenderness in his eyes despite his gruff exterior. she starts thinking that she doesn’t want to spend one day without him. She gets so nervous when she realizes how completely in love she is. As paradoxical as it may seem, she pulls away a little, and that’s when he says it, like it’s no big deal at all, before going to bed or at the end of a phone call. And that’s it, that easy, it doesn’t have to be complicated or a big deal. And she loves him even more then.

**How long it takes them to make their relationship official?** What’s your head canon on other people’s reactions to hardy and han, like what do tess and people around town think of the pair? are they point of town gossip? does Tess hate her?

Because Hardy and Hannah have both been hurt in past relationships, it might take some time before they officially become a couple. I think Hardy is the first one who will want to put a label on their relationship.

But between deciding that they are committed to each other and actually telling others, it would take even longer. Partly because they are somewhat private people, especially Hardy. But also for fear of what people might say.

I often think their relationship would develop over a long time, with a lot of hits and misses, and bits where they’re not officially together. So, if anything, their closest friends and family members might figure out they’re together before they even have to say anything about it.

As for others, it’s not hard to guess how they would react, just look at how people in the fandom reacted to this ship: they have nothing in common, it won’t last, he’s having a midlife crisis, it’s only sex. But I think the people closest to them will know they are in love like they have never been before and truly make each other happy.

I think they would be very careful about what they reveal of Hannah’s past profession, but that would only do for some time. I can see Hannah getting irritated to have to lie some more and sort of turning that against Hardy. But when she starts being honest about it to people, they’re stronger than ever to face any backlash, and you know, it the end, it’s not as bad as they’d anticipated.

* * *

**Drabble**

_Relevant to the topic of officializing their relationship (I think this was around S2 when Hardy was basically dying, and Tinyconfusion joked about “ghost Hardy”)_

Ben would joke that her new boyfriend was a ghost.

“All I’m saying is I’ve never seen or heard the man,” he argued. “Are you sure you haven’t developed some psychic powers?”

“Shut up, Ben.”

She tried not to let it get to her. It was true that Hardy wasn’t around much, and he had yet to meet any of her friends and family. He worked hard and lived in Dorset. She didn’t want to share their precious time together with other people. Besides, she was glad they were the kind of couple who could live apart. She was an independent woman and had no use for a clingy boyfriend. Still…

She didn’t want to be _that_ kind of girl, but she started worrying that he didn’t care enough about her to want to know her friends and family.

He noticed something was wrong with her and wouldn’t let go until she told him.

“God’s sake, Han,” was his reply. 

But Hardy was nothing if not a man of action. He called a restaurant to make a reservation for that same night.

“Invite whoever you want. I’ll meet them.” He wasn’t even that grumpy about it. “If that’s what it takes to show you I care.”

Mulling over the situation, Hannah tapped her phone against her lower lip. “Tonight?… I can think of other ways you can show me you care.”

Hardy chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. “That right?”

“Let them think you’re a ghost a while longer.”

He kissed her neck, soft lips pressed below her ear. “What do you have in mind?”

“Pottery class?”

He laughed and hugged her tighter. “Look, Han, I can’t say I’m looking forward to meeting your parents, but… I just wasn’t sure you were ready. I didn’t want to push you.”

She tilted her head back to look into his eyes and cupped his scruffy cheek. _God, this man._ “I love you.”

“Me too.” He kissed her deeply, fingers drifting through her hair. “Why don’t you sit back and relax for me.”

“Oh, now I _really_ love you.”

He shook his head fondly as he knelt between her legs.

* * *

**Tess’ reaction**

**__** _I read that you think Tess would talk badly about Hannah, what kind of things do you think she'd say, and how would Hardy handle that?_

Well, it’s always bittersweet when your ex gets a new girlfriend, isn’t it? On one hand, Tess might be happy Hardy has moved on and found someone. But there’s always a bit of jealousy anyway. 

Even more so once she sees Hannah who is younger and prettier than her. Maybe Tess would talk behind their backs, say he’s having a mid-life crisis and that it won’t last. She’s dismissive of Hannah when they meet. 

I often write or “headcanon” that Hardy and Hannah met while he was still married, nothing happened, they were just friends, but I’m sure that would upset Tess even more. Underneath her sarcasm, there’s bitterness, because Hardy stopped touching her long before she had an affair, and she preferred when she could believe that he’d just lost interest in sex altogether.

I feel like Hardy might just ignore Tess’ attitude at first, wouldn’t want to fight with her when it’s mostly passive-aggressive stuff.

But when Tess finds out Hannah is/was a prostitute, she doesn’t want Daisy to spend time with her (I’m not a mother, but I think that’s understandable). That would really anger Hardy, because it’s not just about Hannah, it’s also not trusting him to make good decisions about their daughter. But he keeps his cool, treads carefully, works out an arrangement.

Hannah says she doesn’t care but it’s not entirely true. She starts pulling back, she doesn’t want to cause trouble for Hardy, and maybe being with a divorced father is too much trouble for her.

It takes a while before he realizes this, at first he believes her excuses for not coming over as often. But then, they have tickets for a comedy show, Daisy was coming with them, but Hannah says she’s got “other obligations”. And they fight. A massive fight, the likes of which they’ve never had before. 

“You’re making me feel like you want me to choose between you and my daughter.”

Hannah thought she was making things easier for him. She was making them harder. 

And they make up, more secure than ever in their ability to face hardships. Together.

In the end, it’s Daisy who solves the problem, like she has done too many times before her parents divorced. “God, mum, give daddy a break. Besides, I kinda like Hannah.”

* * *

**Drabble: A kiss out of envy or jealousy**

“What is she doing here?” Tess asked, glaring at Hannah.

Hardy and his ex-wife had a meeting regarding the sale of the house they still owned together in Sandbrook. Hannah had tagged along, for moral support. 

Hannah ignored the remark and finished the last of her tea. She hated Tess for what she’d done to Hardy, but she’d promised to behave.

“I’ll be at the book shop next door,” Hannah said to Hardy only. “Text me when you’re done.”

“Okay.”

She cupped Hardy’s cheek and kissed him. Not a dry goodbye peck, but a full on snog. He stilled in surprise, but she ran her fingers through his hair and opened her mouth to his. 

She broke the kiss with a wet smack. 

Hardy glowered at her, but his blushed cheeks and glossy lips undermined his message. She winked, and he couldn’t hold back a smile.

“Don’t make me wait too long.”


	3. Settling down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannah choosing the monogamous life, choosing a city and a house to live in

**What finally convinces Hannah that she can do an exclusive and official relationship with Hardy?** Especially after she couldn't do so with Ben. what was different with hardy?

This is a huge question, so I told @fadewithfury about it, and she said: “realizing she was in the middle of that very thing” which sums up everything I was going to say.

They’re both independent people with very taking jobs, that need to learn to trust again after heartbreaks. It’s not going to be easy. I imagine them living apart for a long time, taking things slow. And over time, their lives mesh together: they meet each other’s friends and family, they leave more and more stuff at the other’s place, they make long-term vacations plans… And their lives become so intricately intertwined that they can’t be separated again. And they don’t want their lives to be separated anymore. 

What’s different from Ben? Hardy’s more mature, he has a different life experience, the way he defines himself through his work is very similar to Hannah, they don’t have such a loaded history. Hardy doesn’t give up as easily…

Sidenote: in my fics, sdoacg and Broadchurch happen in the years they aired on tv, meaning that when Hardy divorces and moves to Broadchurch, Hannah has already broken up with Ben. So I always factor in that she’s older and more mature. She knows herself better and what she wants. In my experience turning 30 makes a difference. 

**Where do you think they would end up settling down?** Broadchurch, London, both, neither, the moon? I have thoughts on this that change with my moon, so quite frequently, but I am curious to your thoughts!

My thoughts change all the time too! I used to think they’d choose London, but then in S3 he said he felt he was meant to be Broadchurch. (He took Daisy there because he thought it’d be good for her, and I love the idea of him doing the same thing for Hannah)

My strongest headcanon, is that they would live apart for a long time before settling in together. They both work hard and are independent people, and there’s Daisy. Also, they’ll have to relearn to trust and rely on someone. So, maybe Hannah’s visit in Broadchurch are getting longer and longer, and gradually she becomes more comfortable there and makes friends. Hannah realizes she has more clothes over at hardy’s house than she does in her own place and how she has ended up moving things without realizing it.

My very favourite place for them to live, even if it has no canon basis, is Edinburgh. It seems perfect, a big city but smaller than London, and in Scotland. A good mix of modern and old.

**I’d like to see them house hunting and being cute. <3 Maybe Hannah meeting Daisy.**

Unfortunately, I don’t think either of those things would go very well. 

Daisy is a teenager and she doesn’t know the real reason behind her parents’ divorce. Deep down she probably wants them to get back together. I think she’d be quite cold towards Hannah. Hannah obviously would have no idea how to handle that and maybe she’d freak out a little. 

Hardy would reassure her, tell her Daisy will come around, but the truth is that she’s scared she’ll lose him if her relationship with his daughter doesn’t improve. I can imagine Hannah talking to Daisy: “look, we both love him, we both want him to be happy, so let’s just pretend, alright? For his sake.” And then maybe something happens to Daisy involving a boy and Hannah helps her out, and then they don’t have to pretend so much anymore.

And the house hunting, oh dear, with Hannah’s luxurious tastes and Hardy’s budget, finding something would be impossible. And the more he thinks about living with her, the more the reality of her job sinks in. 

He’d start looking for a flat without telling her about it. They’d get into a fight only to come to the conclusion that maybe it is better if they each have their own space. After all, they’re both independent people, it’s easier, there are less compromises to make. And, really, what were they thinking in this market? They sulk each on their side, but eventually reconcile (that’s when the sex with his suit still on comes in).

Finding a house happens by accident. They’re taking a walk and see a house for sale, Hannah tells him how Ben and her used to pretend they were rich to visit houses, she drags Hardy in just for kicks, but they actually both like it. It’s small but modern, and the owners are in a hurry to sell, so it’s quite a bargain. And just like that they have a home. And yeah, Hannah’s clothes take up all the space in the closet, and she doesn’t care much for his dirty socks on the floor. But they’ve been through so much worse that now they really appreciate what they have no matter how imperfect it is.


	4. Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Would they ever get married? Includes a drabble.

**What's your headcanon on marriage and kids for Hardy x Hannah?** **Would Hardy ask Hannah to marry him someday?**

In a scenario where they get together after Broadchurch and everything, I don’t really see it happening. They may discuss it at some point, but ultimately they would decide against it. Partly because of how Hardy’s marriage turned out. They just wouldn’t feel the need for it.

I could see this happening in a “drunk in Vegas” sort of scenario maybe.

And there’s nothing in SDOACG to make me think she wants kids. That said, I think Hannah would grow to love Daisy and enjoy being a step-mom (and I like writing her as the cool aunt to her sister’s son).

But beyond that, there is a wealth of AUs/plots where either of these things could happen in a way that makes sense (historical AUs, marriage of convenience, younger H/H…) And they are really fun to imagine :D

**Drabble**

Hannah stretched her arms above her head as the credits to “Four Weddings and a Funeral” scrolled on the screen.

“Bed?” she asked Hardy.

“Should we get married?” he replied instead.

Hannah gaped at him. “… Why?”

He shrugged. “We’ve been together three years.”

“Three? Aaaww you’re counting from our first kiss.”

“Well, second first kiss. Otherwise that’d be…“ he trailed off.

“About four years? God, why did we spend an entire year not kissing?”

He glared at her briefly– best not bring that up again.

“Don’t you count from that kiss?” he asked.

“We weren’t really a couple…”

“When did we become a couple, then? First date?”

“First date, that’s the beach, right?”

“That wasn’t a date. The dinner was a date, at that sushi place.”

“That was a date? Oooh, that explains so much.” She giggled remembering how overly formal he’d been, she hadn’t understood it at the time. “I didn’t think it was one, we had dinner together all the time.”

“Hannah, I ate raw fish for you.”

“Yes you did.” She looped her arm through his and smiled. “Anyway, I count from after that, when we first said ‘I love you’: October 22nd.” She kissed him. “Well, the real ‘I love you’ not how we said it before as friends.”

“ _Friends_.” He snorted at that. “Wait, that was months after the date, so all that time you thought we weren’t going steady?”

Hannah burst out laughing. “Going steady? It’s not the fifties anymore.”

“I was married a long time,” he muttered. “You know what I mean.”

“Look, I wasn’t unfaithful, if that’s what you’re wondering. I just wasn’t sure how serious it was.”

He stared at her, incredulous. “ ‘Course I was serious. I’m never not serious about you. You know me better than that.”

“Yeah, but I know myself too…”

Hardy wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tugged her in for a hug. He kissed the top of her head. He knew that relationships had never been easy for her, and not just because she used to be an escort.

“That why you don’t want to get married?” he asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. Marriage is… antiquated. When I was a call girl, I met so many men who were married.”

He didn’t say a word, so she tilted her head back to see his face. His mouth was downturned and his brow knitted in a frown. Immediately, she hated herself for hurting him.

“I love you,” she said with a pleading note in her voice.

“I know.”

She cupped his cheek to make him look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not you, just what you said about married people cheating…”

“Sorry.”

He shook his head and kissed her gently.

She rested her forehead against his. “I’m yours, through thick and thin, you know that,” Hannah said.

“Until I start getting on your nerves.”

“Exactly.” She giggled and borrowed further into his embrace. “It never felt right before you.”

He ran his fingers through her hair as she listened to his heart beat. Sometimes it felt like they’d gone through thick and thin already, and it had only made them stronger. She couldn’t imagine her life without him.

“You’re right,” he said after a moment. “If I love you and you love me, we don’t need some big ceremony just to— to celebrate our love like we’re in a Disney movie or something.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad… a big party. Mum would stop nagging me.”

“We’re not getting married so you can throw a party. Or to shut up your mother.”

“Or we could do it in Vegas!”

“No.”

She had to laugh at his grumpy face. “You’re so old-fashioned.”

“Because I want to marry you properly not with bloody Elvis there?”

“You’re cute.”

Hardy rolled his eyes.

“Or we could jump straight to the honeymoon,” Hannah suggested. “Oh!”

Hardy eyed her warily as she straightened up and straddled his legs. She cleared her throat and schooled her features to look as solemn as possible.

“Alec Hardy, will you choose the paint colour in the bedroom.”

“Now that is a very serious commitment.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Aye.”

(The next day, on the kitchen table, she found a ring made from a paint chip.)


	5. Hannah and her job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Characterization and quitting prostitution

**How I see Hannah:**

Hannah is a fascinating and complex character, she’s selfish but kind, hopeful no matter how many times she gets her heart broken, and, under all that makeup and designer clothes, she’s a complete dork who fangirls about her favourite author and adores cosplay. I wish we knew more about her past so we could understand her even better. Here are some thoughts that guide my writing.

1\. Belle is part of who Hannah is, but Hannah is more than Belle.

They are not entirely different persons and Belle is an important part of who Hannah is. However, when she uses the name “Belle”, she’s working. To me, her work is a performance, she’s focused on the client’s needs and desires, not on her own and therefore, she’s not entirely herself. I don't think she has orgasms with clients (except maybe some regulars) because she wants to stay in control. There are Dos and Don’ts for an escort— just like in any other job— and she talks about them in S01E03. For example, she’s much more upfront with Ben than she is with her clients. Therefore, if someone were to have a relationship with only Belle, it wouldn’t be authentic but neither is a relationship with Hannah that excludes Belle.

Right in the first episode, talking about clients, she says: “for me, the perfect partner is one where I never have to be myself.” Hannah, herself, struggles with this dichotomy and with her own identity, it’s only normal that the viewer and the people around her do to.

2\. Hannah is afraid of relationships

To me that’s the most fascinating thing about this character. I think deep down she wants to care about other people, she craves human contact but for some reason we can only speculate about, she’s afraid of committing. I think her job allows her to be that caring person, she’s very empathic towards clients and dedicated to their well-being. But it takes place within limits she can control. The appointments and money transactions make her feel safe. If she doesn’t want to see a client anymore, she can do it, but it’s not as easily done with a friend or a boyfriend.

We see this with Bambi too. She’s reluctant to help Bambi at first, when she seeks out advice on becoming an escort. And yet, when Bambi is in trouble with a client and calls her, Hannah rushes to her help and takes care of her afterwards.

When she does enter a relationship, she will “test” the other person. Take Duncan for example (he turned out to be a prick, but that’s not entirely relevant right now) he becomes her boyfriend and then she sleeps with a male escort for research without telling him first. The whole time she feels weird about it but rationalizes that it’s for her book and that Duncan would want her to. She wants to see how far she can go before it breaks. (I would also like to point out that she decides to do it as “Belle”).

It’s also my opinion that her job is a way to keep people at arm’s length. In season 2, she only calls Alex after much insistence from Bambi. Deep down she wanted to, but it was easier to believe it had no chance of working out because of her work than taking the risk of entering a relationship, to be out of her comfort zone and possibly get hurt.

3\. It all changes in season 4

In season 1 to 3, I can believe that Hannah really loves her work, and that it’s not so different from other jobs and that she could easily keep doing it for years (keeping in mind that it’s an unrealistic portrayal of prostitution). But in the last season, we see her use her job as a way to escape her problems. When she finds Poppy in her bed with Ben, she meets with a client rather than confront Ben. “You get knocked down. You get back in the ring.”

Also— and this may be an artistic direction decision rather than an element of her character development— she wears a lot more makeup and her clothes are more extravagant compared to the previous seasons. That always gave me the impression of a costume or a mask, something she’s hiding behind. Far from the fabulous but forgettable of S1. (That said, one could argue that it means she stops seeing Hannah and Belle as two separate entities and decides to embrace her career fully.)

When I write fics that take place after season 4, I take that into account. She has to at least question her choice of profession because I feel like she’s not doing it for the right reasons anymore. 

* * *

☆ - happy headcanon  
I think real happiness is something she learns over time. At the beginning of the series she’s quite a happy-go-lucky type of girl but I don’t know how deep that goes, she’s happy at times but it doesn’t run deep. But as she grows older and she knows herself better and gets involved in various projects, she experiences a more fulfilling type of happiness.

☯ - likes/dislikes headcanon  
She likes: video games, sex, pampering herself, crisp high thread-count bed sheets, cooking shows (even if she doesn’t cook), tall and slim men, figuring out that one special thing that will make someone else happy.  
She dislikes: pet fish, rude people, cold weather, public transports, waking up early, novels with sexy scenes that fade to black just when it’s getting good.

* * *

**Hannah’s job and future**

> Fadewithfury said: The only way Hannah will stop escorting is if it's on her own terms. Though I feel that by the time BC s2 is over, Hannah is already winding down. I think she's in her early 30s by now? But she's just going to look up one day and realize she hasn't had a client in several months and isn't really interested in taking another. I'm not sure if Hardy would be able to settle down with her fully till she's done, but he'd learn it's best to let her get there on her own terms _._

I wholeheartedly agree.

Her age is an important element. I always feel a bit like I’m betraying Hannah when I write her giving up escorting, like I’m imposing my own moral on her. But in Sdoacg she’s in her twenties, I think that’s a time of your life when a lot of changes occur, so it’s not unlikely that she would change her mind about her job after turning 30, especially after what happened in S4. (Not to mention the inherent ageism of prostitution, she would get less clients as she gets older.)

And what you described, her winding down, did happen in S2 when she was in love with Alex, she stopped seeing clients and freaked out when she was with one (granted, he was awful), so we know it’s something she can do. (She starts again when they’re still together, but I think it’s pretty obvious that they’re relationship is just not the same after he discovered her real job) Combined with more self-awareness and a relationship based on trust and honesty with Hardy, that’s the most plausible scenario. 

I like to think Hardy could handle what she does for some time. It’s like he tells her in _You and your Heart_ : “We see a different side of people, you and I, a side they don’t show the rest of the world. But we know they’re not just criminals or perverts... and I’m not just a DI and you’re not just an escort.”

**Hannah isn’t the only one who has to change**

Hardy may have the moral high ground, when it comes to his job compared to Hannah’s, but the way he goes about it isn’t healthier. He works long hours, it’s detrimental to his physical and mental health, it affected his relationship with Tess and with his daughter. If Hannah changes the way she works for the good of their relationship, Hardy must do that too. For example, she stops doing all-nighters with clients but he has to come back from the office every night too. If Hannah feels like she’s the only one making sacrifices, it’s the quickest way back to her old habits.

> Anonymous said: _The day she finally quits her job has been a long time coming, but now he's insecure that he'll be enough for her._

So much delicious angst in that statement! It’s especially true considering his ex-wife cheated on him. Let’s be real, he can accept her job only for as long as they’re not seriously in a relationship

Insecure Hardy, trying too hard to make it up to her until he’s downright getting on her nerves and she’s like “Stop being so nice and attentive, I just want my old Hardy back.” And the truth is that she’s scared of that too, she’s never been a very good girlfriend after all, she gets bored and sleeps with someone else. But the thing is that she’s never known love like the one she shares with Hardy. Eventually, they both acknowledge their insecurities (not by any means an easy discussion. Just a trail of hints over time and finally a heart-to-heart after a Sunday afternoon nap when she’s so beautiful and he can’t bear the thought of even just leaving the couch, and it’s like his pacemaker has stopped working, in a typical Hardy fashion he just blurts out the words). They decide to take it one day at a time instead of freaking out about some hypothetical scenario and it turns out they’re better at this than they’d thought.

**Do you have any headcanons about her job after she quits escorting?**

In the pilot, Hannah calls herself lazy, yet we see her, again and again, going out of her way for clients, and then she writes two books, one of which becomes a bestseller. Once she realizes how resourceful, creative, persevering and ambitious she truly is, she won’t be afraid to branch out and get involved in things she’s passionate about. And as she gets involved in more and more projects, she has less time for clients and the transition happens almost naturally.

I like to think she would continue writing, although after shaming her editor publicly she would have to find another one. It’s a matter of finding the right kind of publication for her type of writing. I see her as trying to get published via traditional channels at first with little success, and then discovering underground and alternative media. Soon the name “Belle de Jour” has become a brand of its own (she knows how to sell herself, after all), she tweets, hosts events, has her own lingerie line. It’s about sex, but also feminism and healthy relationships… but mostly about sex.

I have a headcanon that she eventually works with an indie production company to turn her books into a webseries. She’d have more control over the final product and work with like-minded people.

I don’t think she could be only a writer because it’s a solitary job and she needs to see people.

I like the job I wrote for her in _The Sum of its Parts_. She works for a company that organizes “sensual” events like kinky speed dating, sex parties/orgies… and her role is to work with VIP clients, not by having sex with them, but making sure they have a great time and the event fulfills their fantasies. She would be really good at that.

**Do you have any theories of how Hardy would handle Hannah's fame? Would this hurt him professionally or would he not care?**

I think it might bother him. He tries not to let it show in front of Hannah but she figures something’s up. At first she thinks he’s ashamed of her, but eventually, he explains that he hates people judging her based solely on what she writes. They either think she’s nymphomaniac or a bimbo, and he knows she’s so much more and so wonderful.


	6. Hardy - Food, health and sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some random headcanons about Hardy, his heart problems, the best day of his life, and a sexy post-surgery drabble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The symbols are from an ask meme thing.

**☮ - friendship headcanon** \- Bambi and Hardy (cause you know she would come to visit hannah all the time)

I think they start out really disliking each other. Bambi would annoy him so much! (To be fair, she annoyed Hannah at first too.) And Bambi would be protective of Hannah, and therefore wary of Hardy who doesn’t make the best first impression. Imagine little Bambi threatening to hunt him down and kick his ass if he hurts Hannah.

They come to a truce when they begrudgingly admit they each make Hannah happy. Eventually Hardy thinks of Bambi as funny and sweet instead of annoying, and Bambi sees Hardy as a trustworthy person.

And they team up to help Hannah finish her latest novel, then plan a surprise party for her book launch together!

**♒ - cooking/food headcanon**

As we know, he’s kind of picky when it comes to food, partly because of his heart problems, but I think that we see in S3 that he’s making efforts to change his life and step out of his comfort zone and that means trying out food he wouldn’t have before.

Also, I think he’s a decent cook, I doubt Tess would have put up with being the only one cooking, and he wanted to do his part too. And wasn’t his mother ill? So maybe he started helping out in the kitchen quite young. They’re all fairly simple, traditional recipes. His macaroni _a la Hardy_ is Daisy’s favourite. After the divorce, he lost any desire to cook as he didn’t have anyone to do it for, but now, he’s got Hannah. If anything he cooks more than her and she’s the one who sets the freezer on fire :P

**✿ Sex headcanon**

Because stress affects libido, when he’s working on a big case, it’s the furthest thing from his mind. He doesn’t seek the non-sexual affection he needs either, but once it’s solved (and he’s taken a looong nap), she’s in for a ride ;)

His sexual history is something I’m always uncertain about. Sometimes I think he had few partners before Tess, and the last years of their marriage were very un-physical. But then, when he hits on Becca, as cringy as it turns out to be, it shows he has some confidence, which makes me wonder what kind of man he was before he became ill and depressed.

> Anonymous said: It's a real turn-on for her when Hardy sometimes doesn't slow down to take off his suit and tie before initiating sex-- a sign of the intensity of his feelings for her, and occasionally his complete inability to wait... plus she likes to yank the tie a little like she yanks his hair... :D

Oooh I like how you think Anon! I’m all for hair and tie yanking. She definitely takes pleasure in seeing him lose control and break his cool, collected façade. It’s the same reason why she tries to make him laugh and teases him when he’s being too serious. And it’s one of the reasons why he loves her, because she sees through him, she challenges him, and he can really be himself with her.

* * *

**Health**

> Anonymous said: Worrisome headcanon: Show!Hardy's pacemaker was treated like the simple installation of new batteries: more energy, more swag, better grooming. What if Hannah's Hardy has a rougher go? Does he worry about her seeing it, feeling it, breaking it if she lies on his chest? Does he fear shorting out during sex? Does she allay his fears, telling him she can't wait for his chest hair to grow back so she can run her fingers thru it & brush her lips against it? Or do we accept Bionic!Hardy & ignore this?

I did some research on post-pacemaker surgery and it seemed rather simple. 

One thing I do know, is if Hardy is worried at all, he won’t tell Hannah. She’d figure it out though, the way he flinches sometimes, or puts his hand to his chest as if to check if it’s still there. He’d still be careful when he wakes up, the habit ingrained in him after feeling pain for so many mornings. I think she’d look it up on the internet without telling him. And she’d try to make him feel useful and strong (“could you open this jar for me?”) and give him excuses to relax (like insist that they stay in and watch a movie). But if it got too serious you can bet she wouldn’t take any of his “I’m fine” bullshit and make him go to the hospital.

**Drabble - Waking up in the hospital**

> I headcanon that if ever Hardy was in the process of waking up in the hospital- it's to the sound of Hannah reading her final draft of her next novel to him (Like if Hanna were to read to him while she waited for him to wake up 😭😍) do you think you could write that somehow? you write them so beautifully

“She hiked a knee up on the windowsill as he opened his trousers. He lined himself up between her slick thighs, glided across her folds, teasing himself to full hardness. Every brush to her clit made–”

Hardy groaned and Hannah stopped reading. His voice croaked when he spoke: “God’s sake, Han.”

She laughed and stood up from her seat by the bed. She took his dry hand in hers, mindful of the IV.

“Not your kind of literature?” she asked.

“We’re in a hospital.” A weak smile belied his scolding.

She smiled too, relieved to see him back to his usual grumpy self.

“Yeah, pretty sure I woke up a few comatose patients and by wake up, I mean–”

He groaned again, but it was quickly followed by raspy laughter. He squeezed her hand, brushing his thumb across her knuckles. “Take me home.”

**Drabble - Six Million Dollar Man**

_Here’s a Missing Scene from S2, set after Hardy’s operation (I never posted it on Ao3)_

He could feel it, the pacemaker, in his chest. It wasn’t heavy, just foreign. The nurse had assured him he’d get used to it. It didn’t seem possible. The awareness was distracting enough to pull him out of his slumber.

“We need to invest in a door,” whispered Hannah.

She was behind him, hiding, it seemed, her nose against the nape of his neck.

Hardy cracked opened his eyes, Tess and Miller were looking at him from the kitchen table.

“Tea?” his ex asked.

He groaned and pulled the bed sheet over his head and Hannah’s. Morning sunlight filtered through the soft cotton. She giggled and everything seemed so much brighter. He half-expected little birds to come chirping in through the window and put ribbons in her hair. 

He kissed her, her lips, her nose, her eyelids, her cheeks, the freckle between her breasts. He couldn’t care less what Ellie and Tess were thinking. Hannah filled his mended heart with light, and he wanted nothing to do with anyone else.

“I can’t wait to take your new equipment out for a test drive,” she said, snaking a hand under his t-shirt. “Too cheesy?”

“It’ll do.”

He pulled the bed sheet back.

“Out! Out!” he told the other women.

“What?”

“I need to recover, calm and quiet the doctor said. Go. Now.”

The women rolled their eyes, they were not fooled by what was really going on, but they did leave the house.

“You’re so rude,” Hannah laughed.

“Aye, but it gets things done. So ‘bout that test drive?”

“Show me what you’ve got, Six Million Dollar Man,” she said, taking off her camisole.


	7. Domestic life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Books, movies, sleeping arrangements and more + 2 bed/sleeping drabbles.

**OTP questions meme:**

**7\. What’s the first thing that changes when they realize they have feelings for the other?**

This really depends on how they meet, doesn’t it? I imagine Hannah would have a moment of panic and maybe Hardy too like “oh, shit I really, really, really like him/her”. They first instinct would be to protect their own hearts.

**9\. Who worries the most?**

Hardy, I think, for one thing, because of his job, he’s more aware of dangers, he might see things a normal citizen wouldn’t notice. And when it comes to Hannah’s profession, he’s seen the worst end of it. Not to mention worrying about Daisy.

**11\. Who tops?**

That’s a sexual thing, right? Before his surgery, Hannah might have to be on top more often lol She might also take the lead more at first, but I think she knows men enough to make him believe he’s taking the lead as a way to build his confidence in the bedroom.

**12\. Who initiates kisses?**

Hannah. From what I’ve read about Tess and Hardy’s relationship, I think kissing wasn’t much part of it, so it might take a while for him to start doing all these usual romantic/couple-y touches, but when it really sinks in that he can kiss her whenever he feels like it, oh boy!

**13\. Who reaches for the other’s hand first?**

(I had to ask @fadewithfury for this one) Hardy because “he’s very touchy when he tries to be reassuring”– sounds good to me

**14\. Who kisses the hardest?**

That’s a strange question, I do like scenarios in which they’ve held back from kissing for so long, that when it finally happens, it’s very heated, but I don’t see Hardy as an “aggressive” kisser. I often describe his kisses as having a soothing effect on Hannah.

**15\. Who wakes up first?**

Hardy, I think that’s fairly obvious, is more of a morning person and she’s more a night owl. He’s in charge of breakfast so she can sleep a little later, and Hannah makes a valiant effort to crack open an eye when he kisses her before going to work. And she brings books or even her laptop to bed so they can get in at the same time even if she’s not sleepy yet.

**29\. one headcanon about this OTP that breaks your heart**

That we will never see them on our tv screens? (maybe it’s for the best) 

They repeatedly break my heart actually, the “it hurts so good” kind of heartbreak, because they need each other so much, but they’re gonna be fuckwits about it.

**18\. Who leaves little notes in the other’s one lunch? (Bonus: what does it usually say?)**

Hannah leaves dirty messages in Alec’s lunchbox lol!

I can’t imagine Hannah ever needing a lunch, but if she ever does, Alec could think of doing that because he or Tess has probably done it at some point for Daisy. It might just say “good luck” or “have a nice day”.

* * *

**What would Hardy and Hannah watch on a movie night?**

You know, Hannah for all her makeup and high heels, also has some more traditionally male interests like video games. So I think she likes action movies and thrillers, maybe even horror movies. But nothing with policemen because she’s learned the hard way Hardy will just start ranting about how unrealistic it is. And I’m sure that at the end of a long day, they like a good ol’ British comedy they can quote by heart. More than once, they had plans to go to the cinema and decided to stay home and rewatch “Shaun of the Dead” instead.

**Would Hardy ever read Hannah's writing? What would his reaction be?**

He doesn’t want to read her books because he might get jealous of the men she slept with. So she dogears the chapters that are about clumsy/weird/silly clients so he’ll feel better. And in the end it helps him understand her work better: what she loves about it and how much energy and heart she puts into it.

When she transitions from autobiographical to fiction novels, she writes erotic thrillers. Hardy helps her more and more with the investigation part of her stories.

And sometimes she writes chapters just for him, that no one else will see. Because no matter how many times she asks, he won’t shag her in the interrogation room, but that doesn’t stop her from writing about it (and maybe reenacting it at home later on).

**What is your headcanon about touching and PDA? What names do they use for each other?**

I can’t imagine Hardy is one for public displays of affection, but Hannah definitely is. We often see her with friends and boyfriends, taking their arms and leaning on them. But she’s great at reading people, so she would probably stop if she noticed it made Hardy uncomfortable. But he might not want her to stop. 

Imagine how chuffed he would be, walking down the street and this beautiful woman wants to hold his hand and kiss him in public. Even before they hook up, when they’re supposed to be just friends or remain professional, she’s always in his personal space and the only reason it bothers him is because it makes him lose his wits.

Hannah has a history of calling boyfriends “baby”, but I prefer if they have pet names based on some inside joke. But just imagine how Hardy would react to her calling him “baby or babe”. And she just starts calling him any term of endearment she can think of just to see how he reacts: sweetheart, darling, honeybear, angel, boo, snuggle bunny, sweet lips, hot stuff… (he not so secretly loves it),

**What presents would they get each other?**

I’m pretty sure Hardy’s rubbish at buying gifts, but it’s the first Christmas they can properly spend together, he doesn’t want to screw it up. He calls her sister for ideas, she’ll have a good idea, right?

Hardy’s difficult to shop for because he doesn’t really need anything, that kind of men, you know. She decides on sailing lessons. He spends so much time staring at the water, surely he would like being on it, right?

Christmas comes and they exchange presents, both convinced they had the perfect idea. They tear the paper, exchanging excited glances and then… “Ha, that’s– that’s nice.” “Very… thoughtful.” “You don’t like it?” “You don’t either!” And thus begins a tradition (or competition?) to buy each other the worst/silliest gifts each year.

 **What's a headcannon that you haven't written about yet?**

\- They fight a lot (because Hardy saw his parents bicker his whole life, he tended to avoid confrontation with Tess which led to a lack of communication between them. But Hannah’s not having any of that. So, they fight, but they also make up quickly)

\- He rented the little blue house for her, but didn’t tell her. (He thought she’d like it and would visit him more often, and he liked that she left some of her things there.)

> fadewithfury said: When he's grumpy about work, she gives him space to be grumpy & doesn't chastise him for it, or push him to change his mood. Took her a while to get used to doing that, because she wants to make people feel good, but sometimes he's a prickly pear because he feels justified in his irritation and he has some pretty awful things to process at times. But she's there for him with a smile when he feels ready for her affection again, and those are by far their best nights in bed!

Yes, and as you say, it would take her a while to learn to do that and learn to distinguish between his usual grumpy mood and when it’s his job really affecting him. It’s in her nature to make men feel better and in her job, men come to her for that, when they need help. She probably hasn’t been very much in contact with that “I don’t want to talk” / “I need space” side of men. Once she realizes he’s not rejecting her, it gets easier, after all she reacts in a similar way. And when he’s ready to come back to her, she can really use all her skills to make him feel better. Just like he’s learned that despite how strong she looks and acts, sometimes she needs to be held and reassured.

**What is your headcanon about who sleeps on what side of the bed?**

Hannah has been living alone for so long she probably sleeps in the middle of the bed and doesn’t have a favourite side. Hardy still sleeps on the same side he did with Tess.

And I’m tempted to say that Hannah hogs all the covers, of course. But maybe when Hardy has nightmares he twists and turns which tugs on the covers and wakes her up. In fact, I have a headcanon that the first few times they spend the night together, he fights sleep because he’s afraid he’ll have nightmares. I think she’s really taken aback the first time he wakes up panting and frightened, and Hardy being who he is, he kind of wants to deal with it on his own and just leaves the bedroom. But eventually they talk about it, and when he wakes up from a bad dream now they just cuddle and go back to sleep and it’s all better.

**What kind of books(or specific titles maybe) would Hardy and Hannah have on their bedside tables?**

I feel like I need to be consistent in my headcanons. In _The Sum of his Parts_ , I wrote that Hardy used to read Detective pulp novels when he was a kid/teen and in _You and Your Heart_ I wrote that his favourite book is _Slaughterhouse-Five_. So I stand by that. 

These last few years, however, I don’t know how much time and energy he had to read so he probably goes for best-seller thrillers like Dan Brown, James Patterson, Lee Child, page turners that don’t require too much thinking. Also, I think he would really like Nick Hornby’s sense of humour. 

Hannah, we know she loves to read, as in other areas of her life, she’ll try anything once. She’s read most classics of literature, we also know she read feminist authors like Simone de Beauvoir. I can imagine her reading biographies and memoirs of great men and women. Also anything she can later discuss with her clients. And as an author, she has to check out the competition. 

I think Anais Nin’s diaries and Margaret Atwood’s novels are books she often goes back to. But also I bet she likes Stephen King and Stieg Larsson.

I love the idea that Hannah influences Hardy to start reading again. And don’t we just love the mental image of them snuggled up in bed, each with a book? 

**Drabble - Shiver**

Under the covers, Hannah shivered and Hardy pulled her a little closer. He rubbed up and down her arm, absentmindedly, his eyes never leaving his book. She stayed focused on her own reading, holding the Kindle with one hand and snaking the other between Hardy’s back and the pillow. Settled and warmer, they remained silent.

After a moment, in perfect synchronicity, both pushed their glasses up their noses. Hannah burst out laughing.

“We’re _such_ an old couple!”

“Oi! I’ll show you old, Hannah Baxter.”

He threw away his book and rolled over her.

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll break a hip?” she teased.

He cut her laughter short with a kiss that made Hannah shiver for an entirely different reason.

(They had to stop to remove their glasses.) 

(He didn’t break a hip but he nearly hurt his back.)

* * *

**Drabble - A kiss… to wake up**

“Han… Hannah. Wake up. We have to go soon,” Hardy says, walking in the bedroom after a shower.

Hannah groans and turns away from him. He opens the curtains to let in the sunlight.

“C’mon, we’ll be late.” Hannah pulls the duvet over her face. Hardy fastens his trousers then shakes her shoulder. “Oi, Sleeping Beauty. I’m serious I don’t want to keep Daisy waiting. ”

“Sleeping Beauty?” she mumbles, peeking above the duvet. “You know what that fairy tale’s about.” She lowers the covers under her chin and purses her lips for a kiss.

“It’s about necrophilia.”

“Nah, you’re thinking of Snow White.”

“So, what’s Sleeping Beauty, then?” he asks.

“How am I supposed to know?”

“You’re the pervert expert.”

Hannah throws a pillow at him, but he laughs.

“See, you don’t need a kiss to wake up, you need an argument.”

“Just fucking kiss me!”

“Oh, well, if you ask so nicely…”

He finishes buttoning his shirt and kneels by the bed. Hannah closes her eyes to pretend she’s asleep, but she giggles.

“You drive me crazy,” he says tenderly.

He rubs their noses together, then softly presses his mouth over hers. Their lips move slowly, lazily together. He cups her cheek, and she tugs him closer by the collar. The kiss deepens, all panting breaths and grasping fingers. Hannah squirms under the sheets. She bites his lower lip, and he breaks the kiss before they get sidetracked.

“I’m wide awake now. Wasn’t that hard, was it?” she says.

“Something else is hard now.”

She chuckles and runs her hand down his back to his bum. “I thought we were running late?” she teases.

Hardy sighs, and they kiss again with open mouths.

“Why do you taste of toothpaste?” he asks.

Hannah swings back the covers to reveal she’s fully dressed.

“I was just having you on, I got ready whilst you were in the shower.”

“You drive me crazy,” he repeats, shaking his head fondly.

“Love you too.”


	8. Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best day of his life and their happiest moments together

**What do you think was the best day of Alec Hardy's life?** (including/involving Hannah of course)

I want to be cheesy and say the day he met her. But I think the best days are the ones you don’t expect anything special will happen. Happiness out of nowhere that reminds you life can be kind.

So imagine this: it’s supposed to be an ordinary day (work, reheated leftovers, an episode of some series, two if he’s not too tired). It starts with a sunny morning rather than the forecast rain, and no anger in his heart. By mid-morning he’s arrested a drug dealer he’s been after for months. He gets two candy bars in the vending machine and decides to keep one for Hannah although he won’t see her for another couple of days. 

Or so he thinks. 

Her work thing is cancelled, and she stops by his office at the end of the afternoon. She’s wearing that blue dress he likes, the one that dips low in the back. And when he guides her in his office, he feels the warmth of her skin. His fingers linger there and she smiles at him over her shoulder. A smile just for him. A complicit thing. And he realizes they’ve reached that point where they understand each other with just a glance.

And when the Chief Superintendent sees Hannah, he tells Hardy to take the rest of the day off; he deserves it after his hard work on the dealer case. And then there’s a good bottle of wine shared in the park, a lot of laughter, a lot of lovely things whispered into his ears and enough energy to do it twice. He’d forgotten things could be so easy, so smooth and light. And when he says “I love you” she says it right back with sun in her voice and stars in her eyes.

**I would love to know about Hardy and Hannah's happiest moments together ❤**

The first thing that came into my mind was: driving around in a car. This is based on my (our) headcanon that they’ve known each other and were friends for many years before dating. 

She visits him in Glasgow or Sandbrook, and he drives her to and from the train station, making unnecessary detours through side streets. Sometimes, she misses her train on purpose so he takes her to the next town. Sometimes, even if there’s someone waiting for him at home, he says “I might as well take you to London.” And they roll down the windows and smile.

After nights out with friends, he slows down in front of her building and sometimes, even if there’s someone waiting for her, she says “keep driving”. And she kicks off her heels, rests her head on his shoulder and watches the streetlights go by.

And on beautiful summer days, there is always a reason to stop whether to stretch their legs or buy an ice cream. And they end up sitting on the hood, just talking. They never acknowledge it out loud but they both know he’ll drive under the speed limit, and she’ll tease him about driving like an old man and put an arm on the back of his seat.

And when it rains, well it’s safer to pull on the side the road and watch the rain fall and hold hands. 

In the car, it’s just the two of them, arguing about music, and saying too much or not enough, and laughing. Stolen, transient moments of happiness.


	9. First sentence meme

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two drabbles in which Hannah is the queen of innuendos.  
> 'is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?'   
> "There's no way in hell this tree is gonna fit through that door, Hannah."

**Drabble 1**  
Hardy had barely walked through the door and dropped his duffel bag, that Hannah had jumped in his arms. She hugged him close. Very close.

“Oh my, Mr. Hardy, is that a banana in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?”

“Er…” Hardy trailed.

Hannah stepped back, arms still around his neck, and looked at his flushed face.

“Oh, my god, you are! You’re… happy. Very happy.”

“I haven’t seen you in 3 weeks,” he muttered.

She bit her bottom lip and not-so-innocently smoothed the lapel of his jacket. “You're right, three week is a long time, and I think I need a good, hard–”

“Han.”

“Banana.”

She yelped when he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

* * *

**Drabble 2**

“There’s no way in hell this tree is gonna fit through that door, Hannah.”

Hannah looked between the fir tree, the doorway and Hardy’s red face. She wasn’t giving up on her fantasy of a big, natural Christmas tree in her new house.

“What if we give it a good shove?”

“It won’t fit, it’s too big.”

Hannah stifled a laugh.

“What?” he asked.

“Hold on, I’ve got something for that,” she replied.

“A chainsaw?”

Hannah entered the house and came back a minute later with a bottle of intimate lubricant.

He rolled his eyes and shook his head fondly. “You had to make it dirty.”

“Of course! Don’t you know anything about me?”

He couldn’t hold back his laughter any longer. He rubbed their frozen nose tips together and kissed her.


	10. A kiss after a small rejection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ficlet. Ellie may have turned down Alec's hug, but Hannah won't.

Hardy had texted Hannah once Joe Miller’s hearing was over. They had plans to meet up for lunch, but when she arrived at the court of justice, she couldn’t find him. Being relatively new in town, Hannah didn’t dare ask anyone if they’d seen him lest she talked to the wrong person.

At last, she spotted Ellie coming out of the bathroom with red, puffy eyes, then Hardy a minute later.

“You were in the ladies with Ellie?” Hannah asked.

“It’s not what you think.”

“What? I don’t think you shagged Ellie in there. She was crying,” Hannah replied. “Whoa, I think it’s the first time you’ve had a dirtier mind than me.”

She nudged him with her shoulder, but he didn’t react. She was used to Hardy’s subdued reactions to her humour, but he was downright sulking now.

“What's happened?”

“Joe pleaded not guilty.”

“Really? That's awful.”

He described the hearing and Ellie’s reaction, why he’d followed her into the bathroom. 

“I… offered her a hug. People do that.”

“Yes, they do. Not you. But some people. What did she do?”

“She looked at me like I was barmy.”

“Well, she doesn’t know what she’s missing.”

Hannah smoothed her hands up his chest to lock her wrists behind his neck. With a sigh, Hardy hugged her back.

“Joe just stirred up a shit storm,” he said.

“I’m staying anyway.”

“You like having me around that much?” he asked.

“Nah, I just like the view from your house.”

“Thought so.”

Hardy squeezed her tighter for a moment.

“I’m glad Ellie turned you down, more for me.”

“Here’s something else she’s not gonna get.” He angled his head and pressed his lips to hers for a tender, loving kiss.


	11. The Black Eye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon asked how Hardy would react to seeing Hannah with a black eye.

**2009** (set during S3 of sdoacg)

Hannah walked out of her client’s menswear shop, feeling rather dejected. Everything had to be perfect with him and no amount of red retro lingerie could make up for her bruised eye. Going back to her flat while her sister was still there was out of the question. She needed a little pick-me-up. Fortunately for her, she had a friend in town.

“Hey Alec! It’s me. Are you still up for that coffee? I just had a cancellation.”

“Er, yeah, sure. I have a lunch break at noon.”

“You’re still near St. James, right? We can meet at Benugo like last time.”

“Works for me.”

Hardy spotted Hannah at the back of the café, in front of a large blackboard listing available beverages in elaborate script. She was reading a book, idly fiddling with her pearl bauble necklace. Some would say she was overdressed for the place, but the reality was that she stood out wherever she was. 

Hannah looked up from the page and smiled when she saw him. She stood up to peck his cheeks. Her light floral perfume mingled with the smell of roasted coffee beans.

“How long are you in town for?” she asked.

“I’m going back so Sandbrook tomorrow.”

“Already?”

She pouted which did wonders for his ego. Perhaps Tess wasn’t entirely wrong in saying that this friendship was the symptom of an early mid-life crisis. Regardless, he enjoyed Hannah’s company.

He grabbed a cup of tea at the counter then sat across from Hannah. She started talking about her sister staying with her, but Hardy couldn’t focus. A dark ring around her left eye distracted him. Was it a bruise or simply the shadow of her fringe?”

“What?” she asked.

He reached for her face across the table, and swiped her fringe to the side. A black-eye. His stomach dropped. “What happened?”

She considered lying then. She really did. Let him think it was a client or a pimp, see what he would do about it. She hadn’t known Alec Hardy for very long, but she knew he would defend her. And sometimes, for all her strength and independence, it’s what she longed for: a knight in shining armor.

“My sister punched me. She didn’t take kindly to my saying she treats her husband like a pet— which she really does, by the way.”

“Your sister?”

“Yeah. Sister. Not my pimp.”

“You sure? That why you called me?”

“I’m sure. I really wanted to see you. Don’t worry.”

“Do you want to press charges?”

“No. Alec, can we drop this now? It already cost me a client today.”

“You should put ice on that.”

“It’ll make my mascara run.”

Neither of them said more on the subject. Hannah rubbed a lipstick stain off her mug, then reclined in her chair and gave him the once-over. “I want to know about your black eye.”

“Wha’? I don’t—“

“Tell me about a fight you got in.”

Her gaze challenged him, and he thought of cavemen who had to prove their superiority over other males to win the female. And although, he couldn’t “win” her, he sort of wanted to try. She smirked when he unconsciously puffed up his chest and raised his chin. Fights were not exactly a rare occurrence in his line of work, but he chose to tell her about his year 8 bully instead. The one who made his life a living hell. The one Alec had outgrown during the summer and punched square in the face on the first day of year 9. “I had height on him, but I didn’t know how to fight. He fought back, gave me a mean black eye, but he never bothered me again.”

“Who knew Alec Hardy was a little bum?”

Hardy laughed. “I… I’d asked my mum’s permission the day before. She said some people it’s all they understand.”

“Aaaww.”

“I arrested his father not long after I was out of the academy… he was a bad man.”

Hardy’s free time was over too quickly. They exited the coffee shop together and paused on the sidewalk since they were going in different directions after.

Hardy put his hands in his pockets and glanced at her bruised eye. “Will it be all right with your sister?”

“Yeah… unless you’re offering me a place to spend the night? In your hotel room, maybe?”

She fiddled with his tie. She couldn’t help it. He shook his head.

“You have too much self-control,” she whined.

“It’s not a bad thing, Hannah.”

She released his tie and lowered her gaze. “No, you’re right.”

He squeezed her shoulder. The only touch he allowed himself. “Call me.”

“If I need anything, yeah, I know.”

“Even if you don’t need anything.”

So much for self-control, he thought.

**2015**

When Hardy came back from work, Hannah was in the kitchen, holding ice over her eye.

“Your sister again?” he joked.

“Yoga accident. I fell on my own fist.”

She held up a yoga instruction DVD. He grabbed it out of her hand and punched the case jokingly. “Bad yoga.”

Hannah laughed. “You’re my hero,” she said with an exaggerated dreamy sigh.

“Lemme see.”

She removed the ice, tilting her head back for inspection.

“How bad does it look?” she asked.

“Awful,” he joked.

She gave him a sad puppy dog look. He gently pecked her eyebrow, nose tip and the corner of her eye.

“Better?”

“Better. I think I have a black lip too, maybe you should…” She pursed her lips.

He laughed as he kissed her.


	12. Underwear shopping

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon asked: In your fic, Missing scenes, it mentions Hannah buying Hardy black tight boxers. Could you please write how that happened?

“Erm, Alec, sweetie, when was the last time you bought new underwear?” Hannah asked, holding up a pair of grey boxer, index hooked through a hole in the backside.

He shrugged and snatched it out of her hands. “Don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

“Buy me new pants.”

“Really? ‘cause I had my eye on a leopard print thong.”

“I’m serious.”

“I’m certainly not gonna start doing your shopping for you.” Tess had probably done that. Hannah had no interest in babysitting a grown man.

“Good.”

“Buuut…” She took a step closer and put her hands on his hips.

Hardy quirked an eyebrow. “But?”

“Maybe you could consider something a little more… flattering.”

“Flattering?”

She tilted her head with a flirtatious smile. “I like your bum, it’s nice.”

He rolled his eyes, biting back a laugh.

As much as he liked the direction this conversation was taking, he didn’t want to be late to court. He pecked her lips, then disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower.

Later, when the water had stopped running, she heard a ripping sound followed by a string of curses. Hardy’s flustered face peeked out from behind the bathroom door.

“Han, could you go buy me some pants, please?”


	13. How others react to their relationship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben's reaction + 2 drabbles: Hardy meets the in-laws and Ellie stuck with Hannah and Tess.

Anonymous asked: what’s your opinion on how Ben would regard hardy? 

Ben is always jealous of her boyfriends and unpleasant with them. The same would happen with Hardy, however, he’d be too intimidated by Hardy to be outright mean to him. Even though Hardy isn’t as rude with him as he can be, for Hannah’s sake. Behind his back, Ben would comment on his age and divorce, make Hannah doubt. Hardy acts cool, but it bothers him, because he knows that friendship is important to Hannah, and he worries he could lose her because of Ben.

In my “headcanon ‘verse” (they were friends for a long time, sdoacg happened before Broadchurch) Hardy and Hannah only become an official couple after Broadchurch S1, maybe S2, so a few years after she broke up with Ben.

So, imagine Ben and Hannah, a bit older, a bit wiser, they’ve had time to think and grow, they’re in a better place in their lives, and they meet again, by accident, and decide to rekindle their friendship (for all his flaws, Ben was a good friend to her). Then he meets Hardy, who is also an old friend of Hannah but they’re in love and living together, she’s a step-mother, they even got a dog, well that jealousy hits him hard again. It’s not that he still wants to be with Hannah, he’s in a happy relationship himself, but how come Hardy got everything Ben wanted? _Why did she choose him and not me?_ And he hates the acrid taste that rises in the back of his throat, reminiscent of his 20s wasted on unrequited love, he hates it so, he thinks he won’t see Hannah again.

But it passes. And he sees how happy she is with Hardy, and how good he is for her, caring, patient, down-to-earth, solid. And it’s the closure Ben needed, after all these years. He and Hannah are still friends, real good friends. Nothing more.

* * *

Anonymous asked: what do you think ellie would think of hannah? and actually, now that i think about it, what would jackie/hannah’s family think of alec?

**Hardy meets Hannah’s family**

Of all the reactions, Hardy expected upon meeting his in-laws, confusion wasn’t one of them. He stands on the doorstep as they take in his appearance with knitted brows and squinting eyes. He doesn’t look that bad, does he?

Hannah has warned him that she doesn’t have the easiest relationship with her family, partly her fault for keeping secrets from them for many years, but she might not have kept as many secrets if they’d had a good relationship to begin with.

Over dinner, many questions are directed at him, always cordial but with a hint of concern. For Hannah’s sake, he answers as politely as he can. Every bit of information he reveals is met with surprise. Divorced, daughter, detective, 45, the Glasgow Celtic FC. He gets the feeling they’re trying to find what’s wrong with him. Not because they’re protective of Hannah, as anticipated, but because that’s what they expect from her. Someone wrong. 

After the meal, while Hannah and her mother wash the dishes, Jackie takes him aside.

“Can I steal you for a little chat?”

“Er, sure.”

“You look like a decent man,” she says. “I’d hate to see you get hurt. What with your daughter and everything… I think there are a few things you need to know about my sister. She’s never had a real boyfriend. I mean, there was Ben for a time, but Lord knows what happened there. She’s not stable.”

Her honeyed voice, infused with fake concern, grates Hardy’s nerves. Her last word is heavy with judgement.

“Well, I think there are a few things you need to know about your sister: she’s brilliant and loving and brave, and she’s trying very hard to mend bridges with her family.” _So bugger off, Jackie_. 

Jackie’s mouth gapes as if he’d just slapped her.

“Good talk.” He turns on his heels and joins Hannah at the sink.

He usually shies away from public displays of affection, but he lets himself put an arm around her waist and kiss her shoulder.

“What’s gotten into you?” she asks, smiling.

He shrugs. “I’m proud of you. Now scoot.” With his hip, he bumps her away from the pile of dirty dishes.

* * *

**Ellie’s POV (set during S2)**

Ellie is uncomfortable. 

She’s sitting in Hardy’s little blue house, with his ex-wife and current girlfriend in the same room. At least, she assumes Hannah is his girlfriend, he’s avoided introducing them properly. But she was at his side before and after his heart surgery yesterday.

Hardy is in the shower, getting ready to work despite still recovering, one arm still paralyzed.

Hannah’s strategy to avoid the awkwardness is denial, she sits down with her laptop and headphones, trying her best to ignore the two other women invading her personal space.

“Is she around a lot?” Tess asks Ellie in a quiet voice.

Ellie holds back a nervous laugh. 

She doesn’t particularly like Tess. She tolerates her because she can help reopen the Sandbrook investigation. But she’d cheated and it was her fault the pendant was stolen, yet she walks around and talks to Hardy like she has the moral high ground.

“I think she lives in London,” Ellie answers diplomatically.

Hannah isn’t always here when Ellie comes by, but there’s a coffee machine in the kitchen Hardy obviously doesn’t know how to use, her clothes in the hamper and tampons in the bathroom. 

“She’s a prostitute,” Tess says.

Ellie glances over her shoulder, at Hannah, their eyes meet for a second, and Hannah quickly looks away, back to her computer.

Is Hardy paying her to be here? To take care of him after his surgery? Do prostitutes do that? Unless she’s a very good actress, she seems to genuinely care for him.

Hannah shouts towards the bathroom door, “How are you getting dressed with only one arm?”

Only grumbles come from the other side.

Hannah chuckles to herself. “That’s what I thought.”

She grabs a tie off the backseat of a chair and enters the steamy bathroom. Giggles come from behind the door.

“A prostitute, really?” Ellie asks Tess.

“Yeah. High class escort, supposedly, but what difference does it make? She’s still whoring herself.”

“What is she doing with Hardy?”

“Mid-life crisis?” Tess laughs.

Ellie doesn’t like the way she says this, like they’re bonding over this. Now Ellie won’t hesitate to drag Hardy when he’s being a fuckwit, but not about his personal life and relationships. She laughs anyway. Force of habit.

To avoid further chitchat, she finds some excuse to step outside while Tess continues looking through the case files.

Two minutes later, Hannah comes out of the house, Hardy’s wool jumper over her t-shirt. She stands next to Ellie, facing the water. Ellie has a hard time reconciling the image of this healthy young woman with what she’s learned about prostitution in her work: drugs, violence, pimps. Sure, Hannah is often dressed to the nines, and sexy (so much so, Ellie has wondered what she finds in Hardy), but she never looks like she’s soliciting.

“You heard what Tess said, didn’t you?” Ellie asks.

“Yep.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. I’m not too surprised, if I’m honest,” Hannah says, rolling her eyes. “At least she’s not lying.” 

“Oh. I thought you were a writer.”

“That too.” She raises her chin. “And a best-selling one, at that. Thank you very much. Actually, I’m writing more than seeing clients these days.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, is that how you met Hardy? Did he… hire you?”

“No! Christ, no.” Hannah laughs. “Alec and I, we go way back. We were good friends. We’d sort of fallen out but then we reconnected last year, after he made the headlines. He’s okay with what I do. Mostly. But Tess, she never liked me.”

“Jealousy?”

“I suppose… but she just judged me so quickly.”

Hannah shrugs, like she isn’t too bothered by it. Maybe she’s used to it. Just like Ellie herself will have to get used to the people of Broadchurch judging her— “how could you not know?”

“I don’t care what she thinks or that you know,” Hannah continues. “But what was she hoping to achieve by telling you, if not to hurt Alec in some way? To hurt his reputation or his friendships.” She grinds her teeth and takes a deep breath to calm herself. “I’ll start worrying the day Tess likes me.”

“I think he’s better off with you,” Ellie says. 

“Quite right.”

“He smiles. I didn’t think he could that.”

“You don’t know what he was like before all this shit got to him. He’s just so…” Hannah sighs and grins and shakes her head fondly. “By the way, thank you Ellie, for helping him with the case and everything.”

“He’s a knob, but his heart’s in the right place,” she admits reluctantly. “Don’t tell him I said that.”

“Don’t worry. Prostitutes: best secret keepers you’ll ever meet.”

“We should have drinks sometime.”

“Yeah. I’d like that.”

Hardy comes out of the house, his gaze lingers on the horizon for a moment, then he turns to Hannah and smiles. His smile makes both women burst with laughter.

“Wha’?”

“Nothing,” Hannah answers, snuggling up to him.

“Tess is packing up her stuff.”

“Good.”


End file.
